BOC seizes P8-M ‘hot’ sugar from Sulpicio Lines yard

The Bureau of Customs recently seized 7,000 sacks of imported sugar from the container yard of Sulpicio Lines at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

BOC Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Celso Templo, said he believed the commodity have been smuggled into southern Mindanao from Borneo, Malaysia and were shipped to Manila in 15 20-foot container vans and then deposited in Sulpicio Lines’ yard.

He said the P8-million shipment, declared as corn grits for animal feed, arrived on June 17 at Pier 12 on board the m/v Filipina Princess and consigned to a certain Sonny Tan, who has not claimed the shipment since it arrived.

Templo said the sacks of sugar, which bear the brand LSC (for Lanao Sugar Cane) and Davao Sugar, are classified by the Sugar Regulatory Administration as “not included in their list of locally manufactured.”

“Aside from misdeclaration, the importer also failed to show shipping and transport permit, and for that we will file charges against this importer,” he said.

MICP district collector Adelina Molina said the shipment will be forfeited in favor of the government and auctioned off next week.      – Sandy Araneta